Commissioners to hear Kingbsury Grade report

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A presentation on work proposed for Kingsbury Grade this summer is scheduled for Thursday’s meeting of the Douglas County Board of Commissioners at Stateline.

The project is to repave nearly four miles of the grade from the summit down to where it meets Highway 50.

The state has budgeted $8.2 million to complete the project, but members of the State Transportation Board were told Monday that those costs could soar to $14 million to $15 million.

Of more interest to residents and local government is how the state will limit traffic over the only direct link between Carson Valley and Lake Tahoe.

Two options under consideration depend on the length of the construction schedule.

The construction schedule could be shortened to 18 months by closing parts of the grade six days per week before Memorial Day and after Labor Day. Under that option the highway would be closed at the summit to regular traffic, allowing only emergency, construction and public transit traffic. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day work would be done at night with one lane closed from Pine Ridge Drive to Highway 50.

Under the three-year option, work would be done May 1 to Oct. 15 with 24-hour traffic control Monday through Friday and one-way alternating traffic.

Delays would be around 30 minutes when the road was open.

Should the state close Kingsbury, motorists could take Highway 50 over Spooner or go through Hope Valley and over Luther Pass. Handling local and emergency traffic will also have to be worked out.

The road work includes going down 13 inches, including the pavement and the base, and rebuilding the highway. The last time crews worked on the Lake side of Kingsbury it was 1999.

Project Manager Pedro Rodriquez will make the presentation to county commissioners.

According to the state, about 5,000 vehicles a day travel over Daggett Summit.

The last major project on Kingsbury was the $6.8 million Peek Construction erosion control project which started in 2009, and continued through 2011 when work stopped.